Environment and Green Energy Was Focus of Trade Mission to Brazil

When talking about environmental issues like water management and energy efficiency, as well as job creation and economic growth, it’s important to look past our own borders and see how our partnership with Brazil can help achieve our goals. As President Obama acknowledged last year when he elevated the bilateral energy and economic dialogues to the presidential-level, Brazil is a key partner for America’s energy, environmental, and economic future.

On the heels of the Partnership21 Conference and President Rousseff’s visit to the U.S. Chamber, the Brazil-U.S. Business Council’s Export Green program led a trade mission to Brazil with small and medium sized companies to further our trade and environmental ties with Brazil. An important focus of the trip was wastewater management, a market expected to grow quickly in the coming years with the chronic global shortage of freshwater, as a new report from Global Industry Analysts shows.

We traveled to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Recife, where the delegation members connected with potential partners and clients and heard from experts in their sectors. Recognizing the importance of this trade mission, representatives from the Department of Energy and Department of Commerce accompanied us to Brazil and participated in the mission’s activities. You can see pictures from the trade mission here.

Last month’s Partnership21 Conference brought together more than 500 people to discuss key issues in U.S.-Brazil relations and hear from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. Two main topics on the agenda for the day were, not surprisingly, our partnerships in trade and energy. As the participants at the conference recognized, pursuing these partnerships is integral to achieving growth and innovation in both countries.

We look forward to a continued partnership between the United States and Brazil as we work together to create jobs, drive growth, and power our countries with green energy.